Toni Singleton is the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s star operator for the K-Ingleside light rail line.
Thirty years ago, while attending City College of San Francisco and working at Moffett Federal Airfield, Singleton applied to multiple city jobs and soon found herself on a new career path as a coach bus operator out of the SFMTA’s John M. Woods Motor Coach Center. After 18 years, she switched to the light rail system, headquartered at the Green Yard, where she’s most often been at the helm of K Ingleside trains.
“I had an opportunity to come over here, and I said, ‘Well, I'm gonna try it, see if I like it,” the 59-year-old Rio Vista resident said. “So I liked it. I've been over here ever since.”
Singleton has a passion for driving, pay-day Tuesdays and M&M-heavy homemade trail mix, she said. Her family keeps her motivated and interacting with her regular riders makes the long shifts worthwhile. The mother of four and grandmother of three gets the opportunity to work alongside her nephew, who’s an operator on the F-Market & Wharves line.
Singleton’s weekday shifts are packed with familiar faces. Some strike up friendly conversations, and others bring her pork buns and other goodies. The M Ocean View and L remain her favorite routes.
“It's a lot of traffic all the time on Ocean Avenue. When there’s construction, sometimes one lane is closed, so you have to wait for all the cars to merge and it's hectic, but it's OK because I'm here all day,” Singleton said.
The Ingleside Light caught up with Singleton to learn more about her work for Muni and the neighborhood.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What does your day-to-day look like while you are operating the light rail?
I’m on duty from 6:57 a.m. til 6:35 p.m., and because of the traffic, I'm never off on time. I have two shifts, so I do four trips on the first half, and I do two trips on the second half.
What do you like or dislike about driving down Ocean Avenue?
I don't like when they merge over. If I'm at Lee Street and the cars are on the right-hand side, they jump in front of me trying to make a left turn by McDonald's. They need to school these people on these trains. Once you get a momentum going, these trains ain't easy to stop like a car or even the bus. I'm like, “Why would you risk your life to jump in front of it?” You can go down one more block and turn.
When you first started to drive for SFMTA, what did it feel like?
When I first started driving the bus, when you get off the bus and you get in your car, it feels funny because it's like you're up here, but when you get in your car, you're down here, and it's like, is my car on flat? It's really different.
Do you have a favorite memory or any familiar faces you see while operating the light rail?
I have a lady with three children. One goes to Aptos and the other two go to school over near Balboa Park. Then I have another lady with two children. Her kids go to some school by West Portal, and then I have another lady with a kid. She told me her kid graduated, so he goes to Hoover, but her little kid still goes to school down here, so yeah, I have a couple of favorites.
What's one piece of advice you have for someone who also wants to become a Muni driver?
Basically, just pay attention. When people come to the class, I tell them if you don't know, just take notes and after it's over, ask a lot of questions, because if you don't ask questions, you're not going to know. Just take a lot of notes and be careful when you go out here on the road. Don't speed. Just be careful. Be safe.
